


Silly Little Mistakes

by orionlethargy



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive tendencies, Demon Deals, Demon Hunter Tom, Demon Hunters, Demon Tord, Demons, Emotional Manipulation, Gunshot Wounds, M/M, Mind Games, Secret Identity, Secrets, demonic posession, tord fricked up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:46:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8900035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orionlethargy/pseuds/orionlethargy
Summary: It was one mistakeJust one little mistakeTom will never be the same





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, stop me if you've heard this one- what happens when you put a demon and a demon hunter in the same home? A horribly mentally scarred Tom. //SLAPS KNEE AND WHEEZES  
> i plan to continue this. because i never pass up a chance to hurt tom. stay tuned :^)

Tord is a demon

 

Tom is a demon hunter

 

And neither knew about the other ones secret

 

They had lived under the same roof for years and neither had noticed a thing. Neither had known they were supposed to be killing each other. Then their hate would have made sense. Guess it was just their instincts. Maybe something inside them sensed the others true nature. 

 

Maybe it was just a coincidence. 

 

Who knows.

 

It wasn't that hard to believe that no one knew Tord was a demon. He hid it well. He hid every trace of his demonic nature. He didn't transform anywhere near the house. He only took on his demon form when he fed. Which he had adapted to go without doing for a long time, as he couldn't be gone too long without suspicion. He wrote his eventual absences away as visits with friends. Nobody realized that his leaves were on a schedule. Twice a month.   
Hey, he needed to feed at some point.   
Somewhere out of the city where the news of missing people would reach his housemates' ears.   
It was a pretty good arrangement. 

 

Tom had been a demon hunter for a long time. It was fueled by revenge.  
How do you think his eyes got like that?  
He had a deep hatred for demons ever since. He didn't think a single one of the vile creatures deserved to live. He killed any of them he came across. Which, thankfully, wasn't often. But as drunk as he got, meeting a demon would immediately sober him up. And it put him in a bad mood that he couldn't explain for the next week. Oh well, at least they were dead.

 

Neither Matt or Edd knew about any of this. As far as they were concerned, both were just their asshat best friends. Nobody was hunting the supernatural. Nobody was eating souls. Everyone was normal

 

It could have stayed that way.

 

But Tord made a mistake.

 

He had been cleaning one of his guns. Carelessly. He didn't need them but they were fun to use. Plus they gave him a dangerous air that was fueled by the demonic aura he gave off. He decided to waste his time by cleaning one of his more commonly-used guns. He was holding it around the handle with one hand and cleaning it with the other. It was pointing towards him. His finger slipped on the trigger.

 

A loud gunshot echoed through the house as it fired. Tord doubled over, dropping the gun. He had shot himself right in the stomach. Unbearable pain coursed through him, starting from the bullet wound and radiating through him. He could feel the hot bullet inside of him and the cold liquid pouring out. 

The bullet had almost gone right through him due to the short range. He clutched his middle, his ears ringing and his breathing heavy. He pulled his hands away from himself, a black liquid staining them. His blood. The room started to smell strongly of metal and something bitter. Tords breaths were shaky. 

 

"Not again." He choked. Black blood dribbled down his chin as he spoke, staining the inside of his mouth.

 

This wouldn't kill him. It wouldn't even come close. It was just a gunshot wound. Demons were very resilient to human weapons. But just because it didn't kill him didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Haha. Hell.

He needed to clean this up and get out of here fast. Surely his housemates had been alerted by the sound and were coming this very second. If that didn't, the smell of his blood would. It was ridiculously strong. The smell of a demons blood is supposed to lure other demons to them. It was meant to be an evolutionary advantage, letting others know they were wounded so maybe they would help. But most of the time the other demon just ended up killing them to loot their corpse. Sad reality. Demons aren't nice. 

 

He hurried out of his bedroom, one hand over his stomach, which was still spilling black blood down his front, and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He could heal. He had that power that was bestowed upon only a lucky few of his species.  
That was both a good thing and a bad thing. For him to heal he'd have to at least half-transform. 

 

He was locked in a bathroom. Had just shot himself. And he was a demon

 

Things really couldn't get worse

 

Could they?

 

 

Tom heard the gunshot. He was startled by such a loud and sudden noise. He quickly stood up from his seat and looked around. 

 

"Edd? Did you hear that?" He called. He quickly walked out of the room and down the hallway, where he bumped into Edd, who looked terrified.

 

"Yeah.. it didn't come from inside the house, did it?" Edd asked.

 

"It sounded so close, it had to..I bet it was Tord. Either he's trying to kill himself or he accidentally shot something." Tom said.

 

"Tom! Don't joke about that! This is serious.." Edd said. 

 

"Sorry, sorry. Trying to lighten the mood." Tom said quickly. Edd obviously wasn't in the mood for jokes. "I'll go check on him. You coming with?"

 

Edd nodded, grabbing onto Tom's arm. "I-yeah, I don't..really want to be on my own right now." Tom couldn't blame him. A gunshot could scare anybody. They walked down the hall to Tord's room. 

 

The sudden strong smell of metal hit Tom's nose and he did a double-take. He stopped walking. That familiar scent. 

 

The blood of a demon.

 

'Thats impossible. I would have at least seen a demon before it got a chance to spill blood. Theres no way..' Tom shook his head, deciding he was jumping to conclusions. A lot of things smell strongly of metal. But the knowledge that this smell was identical to the same he knew so well worried him. 

 

"Do you smell that?" Edd asked. "Its like pennies.."

 

"It could be the gunpowder. Some guns give off that..puff of smoke, y'know?" Tom tried to reason. 

 

"Does gunpowder smell like that?" Edd asked. Tom was silent.

 

The door of Tords' room was cracked. Tom pushed it open quickly and looked around. Nobody was inside. He let out a breath. He half-expected a demon to be in there. He stepped inside and looked around. One of Tord's guns was on the floor. But no Tord. Weird.

 

"Do you think he fired it?" Tom asked. "I mean, it could have just fell and went off.."

 

"Maybe it did. Why would Tord just fire a gun and leave? I mean, maybe he accidentally fired it and got scared and thought wed yell at him for firing guns in the house, and ran off." Edd said.

 

Tom scanned across the floor. "I don't see the bullet. Good god, please don't tell me it hit the wall. I don't want to have to pay for something Tord damaged again." As he looked down, he saw something that made his heart drop. A small puddle of black. 

 

It couldn't be. He didn't want it to be. He thought the smell was a coincidence, it couldn't really be-

 

"Just a sec." Tom said, crouching down. Edd let go of his arm. He put two fingers into the slightly gooey substance and sniffed it.

 

That strong, almost rotten bitter smell.

 

There was no denying it now. This was demon blood. A gunshot and blood. It wasn't hard to piece together what had happened. There was a demon somewhere around here

 

He felt anger bubbling up inside him. How the fuck had a demon gotten in here? Had Tord tried to shoot it and-oh god, where was Tord. His anger was fueled by his fear. He didn't want one of his begrudgingly best friends to be killed by a demon. No matter how shitty he was. He didn't want to loose anyone else. 

 

"Tom? Are you okay..?" Edd asked.

 

"Fine." Tom said through clenched teeth. He stood up. "Edd, go to your room. Lock the door. Tell Matt to do so as well."

 

"But w-"

 

"Just listen to me. It isn't safe. Go." Tom insisted.

 

"Tom-"

 

"Go!" Tom shouted. He couldn't help it. He couldn't control all these emotions at once. Fear turning to terror, anger turning to rage. He was going to find that demon and slit its fucking throat. And God help the hellish creature if it had hurt one of his friends.

 

Edd swallowed hard and rushed out of the room, confused but still going to obey Tom's order. 

 

Tom brought his arm up and swung it to the side, a blade sliding out of a secret band he had concealed in his hoodie. He always kept these weapons on him. He was paranoid of a sudden attack. Guess it paid off now. The blade he held was special, it was holy. It had been blessed and soaked in holy water. It sounded stereotypical. Before he believed in demons he thought all that shit was made up. But these were the only things he had that could actually hurt demons. Witchcraft also combatted their power but he didn't want to have even more paranormal things in his life.

 

He stepped out of the room and looked down the hall, spotting more of the black liquid trailing on the floor. It let to the bathroom. He put his ear to the door, hearing heavy breathing. He tried the handle. It was locked. 

 

Tord jumped as the door handle jiggled. He was about to shift, a hand still over his stomach. Fuck. Someone was trying to get in. He decided the best course of action was to stay silent. They would go away. But a thought crossed his mind as whoever was on the other side continued to try to force the door open. Why would they insist on opening a locked bathroom door?

 

Horror struck him.

 

They must have seen his blood.

 

He tried to reason with himself. They'd think its paint, they wouldn't care, they must be scared because of the gunshot..

 

But what if that wasn't the reason?

 

He tried to make a noise, any noise to alert he was in there. But the pain was growing too intense.He made a noise more akin to a growl than anything else.

 

Tom heard the growl and angrily slammed into the door. "I know you're in there, demon. You can't escape. I want to know what the fuck you did with Tord!"

 

Tord felt a sinking feeling in his gut. It was Tom. He was in shock, what did Tom know about demons? He couldn't possibly..did he think a demon had hurt Tord? And he was that demon? Well, he sort of was. And he had indeed hurt Tord. Tord being him. How confusing.

 

But more confusing was that Tom knew a demon was in there. He had recognized the blood. How did Tom know how to identify demon blood? What had he been hiding? Tord couldn't think about that now. Revealing himself as, well, Tord, would make Tom more suspicious and may alert him that Tord was the demon he was after. His only option was to vanish. And teleport to somewhere else until he was fully healed. Another rare ability he had. Thank the lord he was against that he was a higher ranking demon. 

 

There was an issue, though

 

To vanish, like to heal, he had to be in at least a half-shifted form

 

Damn his human form's limitations. 

 

He let out a shaky breath as transformation rippled through him. He shut his eyes tight and when he opened them, they were a fiery red. He grit his teeth, his fangs growing sharp and curling over his bottom lip. The bones in his wrists cracked as his hands contorted and red raced up his arms from the fingertips. His fingers ended in sharp claws. Horns poked through from his forehead, twisted out to the side, their tips blood-read like his hands. His ears lengthened and grew sharp. Slits ripped through the space under his eyes and a second pair of black eyes opened up, blinking into focus. They had tiny red dots in the middle. A tail wound down out of the back of his hoodie and flicked around.

There was a ripping sound and he grunted as tattered, black wings tore through his hoodie and unfurled, the ends dyed red. He flapped them once, testing them out. He let himself relax, this form more comfortable. He felt the wound in his stomach start to close, the skin stitching itself back together. The bullet inside him was disintegrated by the heat coming from his core. The pain was finally starting to subside. He was still soaked in black blood, though.

 

The door finally gave, the hinges breaking. It swung open. Tord froze up. Tom immediately aimed the knife at him, eyes narrowed and stance menacing. But all that faltered as he recognized the man. A choked noise escaped his throat as his eyes went wide. His grip on the knife loosened.

 

"T..Tord?" He asked. 

 

Tord was just as shocked. The last thing he had wanted was someone seeing him like this. But that wasn't what was scary at the moment. He felt the metaphorical light coming from the blade. It was holy. It could actually hurt him. 

 

Tom knew exactly what he was planning on doing. He knew how to kill demons. Tord didn't know how or why but he was vulnerable now. He needed to get the hell out of there.

 

Thoughts were swirling around Tom's head. He felt sick. This couldnt be happening. Conflict raged inside him as he looked upon the twisted form of his friend, the one he'd lived with and loved for years. The one that was a demon.

 

'Kill the demon.'  
'But the demon is Tord.'  
'That shouldnt stop you.'  
'I can't just fucking kill him.'  
'Why not?'

 

Tord continued to stare at him. Tom felt bile rising up in his throat but forced it down. His breathing grew heavy. He tightened his grip on the knife. His hands were shaking. 

 

He had a job to do.

 

"I-I'm sorry." He choked out. And he ran at Tord, swinging the knife. The space Tord had been standing in was suddenly empty, and Tom stabbed into nothing. He froze in confusion and felt strong arms wrapping around his neck. Tord had teleported behind him. Tord grinned, glad to be able to use his powers again. 

 

"Now, now, Tom. Lets not do something we'll regret." Tord said in a singsong voice. Tom tried to pry Tord's arms off him. He tried stabbing him with the knife he still had in his hand but Tord grasped his wrist and squeezed hard. Tom cried out in pain and the knife fell.

 

"That's better. I wouldn't want you to be armed. It'd be a shame to feel unsafe in my own home.." Tord said.

 

"This isn't your home. You're a fucking demon. You don't belong here! You haven't claimed this place." Tom spat.

 

"What, you don't think I left a single mark on this house while I stayed here? Why do you think no other demons tried to hurt you guys? You've been living in a demon's home for years. How does that feel, demon hunter?" Tord taunted. 

 

Tom snarled. He didn't want to believe it. But it made sense. After all his hunting and killing, why hadn't a demon come to find him already? Maybe because they thought one was already trying to kill him.

 

"So how long have you been a demon hunter? And how many of me have you killed?" Tord asked.

 

"Enough time. Enough demons." Tom said. 

 

"And you want to add me to your little list? Or are your ties to me holding you back? Are you really that soft? How cute." Tord said.

 

"I..I will if I have to! No way in hell I'm gonna let you kill me first." Tom said.

 

Tord's grip around Tom loosened a bit. "Kill you? I thought you knew me better than that. Really, Tom, what kind of demon do you take me for? I still love you." Tord leaned closer to Tom and kissed his cheek. Tom tried to wiggle away. He didn't want Tord's lips on him. It made him feel dirty. He was a demon. It just felt wrong. Even if it was Tord. 

 

"So what are you going to do?" Tom asked in a small voice.

 

Tord made a 'hm' sound. "I don't know. I don't have to do anything. This doesn't have to go any further."

 

"You think Im just gonna let this go?! You're not even fucking human! You lied to us for years, you could have killed us, you kill innocent people, have you seen what you do to them!? They're left as fucking husks! Because of you!! Im gonna tell Edd and Matt and you'll never get near us again! You'll finally be out of my fucking life! You filthy, filthy fucking monster!"  
Tom let out his rage.   
He started kicking, trying to get out of Tord's grip. He didn't want him touching him. It was disgusting. He wanted to get away, he felt gross, he felt dirty. He didn't want any demon this close to him. 

 

Tord looked startled for a moment, processing the aggressive vent. He frowned, looking at Tom angrily.

"You're not a saint either. Forgive the pun. But you're as much of a murderer as I am. How many demons have you killed, exactly? I don't think Edd or Matt would take too kindly to that. Killing beings just because of what they are..do you think they could sympathize with that? That they could sympathize with a killer?"

 

"So we're in the same boat here. The same pathetic, sinking boat." Tom said miserably. He had went slightly limp. 

 

"So lets make an agreement." Tord said. 

 

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no! I don't want to make a deal with you!" Tom said, panicking. 

 

"I never said it was a deal! No hands shaken. Just a mutual agreement. Between two old friends." Tord grinned at this. "I don't tell Edd or Matt of your true nature and you don't tell them about mine. Life can continue as normal. Like nothing ever happened."

 

"I hate you fucking demons..you're just as manipulative as the rest of them. You're not special." Tom growled. 

 

"What's it gonna be, Tom?" Tord asked.

 

"…Fine." Tom said begrudgingly. 

 

"Great!" Tord said, letting go of Tom and causing him to go crashing to the floor. "Glad we could come to an agreement! Now if you excuse me, Im gonna go change and shift back. You reassure our dear friends that we're still alive."

 

Tom's hand inched cowards the knife on the floor and he grabbed it as Tord started walking out of the bathroom. 

 

"Oh, and Tom?" Tord snapped and the knife went flying out of his hands. It flew into the wall, blade facing it, and stuck there. "I'd tone it down with the holy weapons. That shit really hurts."

 

Tom scowled.

 

 

And so started the silent agreement that this day would not be mentioned. They continued their lives, Tom just a bit more cautious around Tord. But not much changed. 

 

Tord is a demon.

 

Tom is a demon hunter. 

 

And each one knew about the other one's secret.


	2. Let's Meet Halfway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This arrangement won't work out much longer. Tom can't handle the stress of living with a demon and Tord is scared that Tom will kill him. Someone has to do something to end this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good lordy tordy thats kinda messed up  
> poor tom lmao

Tom knew this wouldn't work out much longer.

 

The knowledge that Tord was a demon was starting to have an affect on him. He had been fine for a week or two, resigning himself to the fact he was living with the enemy. But he was growing more and more weary of Tord, the fact he was a fucking demon getting worse and worse in his mind. The information seemed to be festering. 

 

He was betraying everything he stood for by letting this demon live. He started to wonder if he would kill Tord. If he could kill Tord. He had lived with this man, sharing good memories with him, for most of his life. There were too many ties to him. Plus Tord suddenly dying without reason would shock Edd and Matt. He was still their friend. They were blissfully unaware of the fact he wasn't human. That he ate the souls of people just like them. Every time Tord left the house Tom got a bad feeling. He had to feed too, right? 

 

So Tom sat by, every day it getting harder to see Tord living so casually. 

 

He started to hate every move Tord made. Every snarky grin, every stupid cackle. This was a monster living in the same house as him. Touching his friends, talking to them so casually, going about his life. It was wrong. He wanted to get Edd and Matt far, far away from him. He wanted Tord out. But to do that he'd not only have to reveal Tord, but himself. There was no good way out of this.

 

Tord could read people's emotions. Another special trait he carried. He heard every angry thought Tom had, every murder plot he had planned. He also heard Tom's doubt. His guilt. His self hatred. Guess the really loved his work. Not being able to kill a demon was hurting him. It was funny to see him mentally deteriorate. But he needed to be serious. 

 

Tom could very well kill him if he wanted to.

 

He didn't need holy weapons. There were other ways. Simply taking something a demon held dear, something as small as the tip of a horn or a pencil, would render the demon under the taker's power. They'd 'belong' to the person. It was humiliating to belong to a human. And dangerous. They could be killed by the human if they used normal weapons. They were weak only to that human. Tord made sure not to leave anything of his around Tom, checking Tom was weapon-less every time he went near him. 

 

Tom was at Tord's mercy. Tord was at Tom's mercy. One of them had to make a move.

 

Tord decided he'd do it. 

 

He knocked on Tom's closed door. He hadn't directly talked to him since the day they had made that agreement. 

 

"Tom?" He called softly. 

 

Tom was strumming his guitar inside his room. He looked up at the knock but didn't move. He could already sense the demon. A demon in human form can make their dark aura dissipate. But Tord had given up on that since Tom discovered what he was. Tom hated it, it gave whatever room Tord was in a dark and for boding feeling. Edd and Matt looked a little uncomfortable around Tord since he had started doing this, not able to put their fingers on what made them feel so scared. 

 

Tom scowled. What could he possibly want? He wasn't worried about Tord trying to take his soul or anything like that. He didn't believe that Tord still cared about him but he wouldn't just take a soul and run. He was smart. Why make a scene? There was no reason for him to kill his friends. He was a considerate demon. That didn't make Tom like him any more, though. 

 

Tord knocked on the door again. Tom started playing the guitar, a clear sign that Tord should go away. Tord frowned. He never liked it when Tom was difficult like this. He could get in the room, sure. Not too hard. He just had to shift. He'd be shifting in due time anyway, why not get it over with?

 

Tom raised an eyebrow at the sudden sound of cracking and tearing outside his door. The dark feeling increased and he felt himself start to panic. He hated that so much. It brought back bad memories. Another reason he was avoiding Tord. If it got stronger, didn't that mean-?

 

He was about to get up, setting the guitar on his bed and sitting up, when dark smoke rose up from a spot on his floor and with a loud pop, Tord appeared, sending red sparks everywhere. Tom cried out in surprise, falling backwards onto the bed. Tord brushed a few sparks off his hoodie. Both sets of eyes looked at Tom and blinked. He liked his half shifted form. All the benefits of a demon while still retaining a somewhat human look. 

 

Tom scrambled to sit up. He stared at Tord, shock and anger crossing his face. "Tord, what the fuck?!" He cried. "Why are you in here?"

 

"What, I can't say hi to my dear friend? You wouldn't let me in so I did it myself. Its not that big of a deal." Tord said, shrugging. 

 

"I don't want a demon barging into my room! Was the guitar playing not a clear enough sign that you should fuck off?" Tom said, trying to calm his hammering heartbeat. "Fuck it, you're here now. What do you want?"

 

"I wanted to discuss our current situation. We're at a complete standstill based on fear. I think you're gonna kill me and you think I'm gonna kill you. Am I correct?" Tord asked. 

 

Tom was silent. He didn't want Tord to know he was afraid of him.   
Tord sensed the frigid fear and grinned. 

 

"I'll take that as a yes. I think we both know this can't continue much longer without one of us doing something we regret." Tord said. 

 

"And you have a way to fix it?" Tom questioned. "Because the only option I can see if one of us leaving."

 

"Exactly!" Tord said. Tom raised an eyebrow. 

 

"Uh..what?"

 

"Please, Tom. I know you're not an idiot. What do we demons do best?" Tord raised his hands up. A red glow started radiating off his palms. 

 

Tom knew the glow well. He had experienced it firsthand before.   
Tord was going to possess him.

 

Panic seized Tom. He backed up into the headboard. He couldn't defend himself. In an attempt not to anger Tord, he had taken his advice and stopped carrying around holy weapons. He was totally helpless.

 

"No, no, no, no, no!" He cried. "Tord, Tord please!"

 

It was cute how terrified Tom was. Tord smiled. "Stop squirming, this'll go by a lot quicker." He said. He spread his wings and lifted himself up into the air, zooming towards Tom with his arms outstretched. Tom shut his eyes tight. Tord disappeared into red smoke before he hit him. 

 

Tom started shaking, gritting his teeth. 

 

"G-get..o-out.." He choked. Tears started forming in his eyes. This couldn't be happening. All the demons he had fought and the one he lost to was his best friend. He could feel his consciousness slipping away as Tord took over. 

 

He went limp and his head fell forwards. 

 

Tom felt himself being ejected from his body. He fell to the floor and blinked. He was confused, he should have been..?

 

He looked down at his hands and saw they were see-through. He stood up and looked at his bed in panic, seeing his own body. Shit. His soul had been forced out of his physical form. He was less than a ghost now. At least, thats what the books told him. 

 

He watched helplessly as his body sat up, wiping the tears away. A grin that looked so wrong on his own face formed and Tom shuddered. He looked down at his hands and laughed.

 

Tord was in control now.

 

"How weird..I've never possessed anyone before." Tord said, speaking in Tom's voice. 

 

"I'll bet that's a fuckin lie." Tom muttered. 

 

Tord looked over at him. "Oh, hello, Thomas. Enjoying the sight?"

 

Tom started. "You can see me?"

 

"Obviously. You must be in the mindscape. Though that's just a theory. I never really researched this stuff. Not enough time in the day." Tord stretched. "Man, you have a great body! Is this how it feels to be a human? I could get used to this."   
Tord tapped his chin. Or, Tom's chin. "Oh, yeah, I will get used to it! Because this body is mine now!"

 

"No it isn't! That-thats still mine! So what if you're in it, it's still my body! And you need to get out of it." Tom said. 

 

"Who's going to make me? Not you, surely?" Tord said. "Im the only one who can see or hear you. You might as well not exist. You have no power to stop me anymore."

 

"This won't work..how will you explain that 'Tord' is gone? Edd and Matt won't accept this. You'll have to give some answers." Tom argued. 

 

"I've already told them before I came to you I'd have to have an..extended leave due to business. Just a few minutes before, actually. It isn't strange for me to disappear. They won't question a thing. " Tord said. 

 

"This is so fucked..you're a fucking monster. Im gonna get my body back. And when I do, Im gonna slit your damn throat! Ill rip out your guts! Do you hear me?!" Tom yelled. "You vile scum!"

 

Tord frowned. "You know, Thomas, I don't have to talk to you. I can pretend you don't exist. I know you like to be alone, but total social isolation? You'll crack like an egg. Im the only one who knows about you. I can block you out. And you really will be less than a ghost."

 

Tom clenched his fists. Again with Tord's manipulative games. He didn't want to give Tord that power over him. But he didn't want to be ignored..practically not existing would be hard. Even if Tord was the only person he had to talk to, that was better than no one. 

 

Tom's silence was an answer enough. Tord smiled. "Good. Let's hope you can behave. For your sake." He stood up and started walking out of the room.

 

"W-where are you going?" Tom questioned. 

 

"Im gonna see what this body can do! Ive always wanted to see what eating was like." Tord said. "Oh, this is gonna be FUN."

 

He gave Tom one last look.

 

"Funny. At least to Edd and Matt, it looks like I was the one who ended up leaving after all~"


	3. Hell Is Somewhere Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom gets what he wants. But he finds the cost is far more than is comfortable with paying  
> And he sure pays, alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TO EVERYONE WHO READ THIS  
> I AM SORRYF OR ABANDONING IT I COMPLETELY FORGOT  
> IM NOT DEAD  
> THIS IS SUUUUCH A DELAY OH MY G OOOD?????  
> anyway  
> so half of this was written back in december 2016, and half was written today. you can probably tell which is which  
> sadly im gonna go back on hiatus RIGHT AFTER i publish this because summer camp  
> BUT I WONT ABANDON IT AGAIN GH  
> i promise ill actually finish it lol

Tom had never been to hell.

Obviously. 

But he figured this was what it was like.

He could do nothing but watch as Tord used HIS body to go about his life. He first tried yelling at Tord, maybe to irritate him into surrender. Didn't work. And he was punished with 3 days of the silent treatment. 

Tom was angry at Edd and Matt for accepting Tord's excuse to leave with no suspicion. For not noticing something was wrong. Not noticing how Tom acted differently. How he had basically stopped drinking all together. How he was more excitable and flirty. How he was more like Tord than Tom. 

The most concern Edd had was an off-hand comment about how 'Tom' "Sure was happy lately." Tom thought bitterly maybe they were better off with Tord inside him than the real him. They'd no longer have to put up with his depressive banter. Maybe he should just fade away..but that would be loosing to the demons. He still had some self respect left and he refused to let a demon get the upper hand.

Sometimes Tom was borderline insulted about how Tord didn't even try to act like him. He even let his Norwegian accent slip into Tom's voice if he wasn't careful. He did things Tom wouldn't even dream of doing. 

Things with..Edd...

But that was something Tom didn't even want to think about. It disgusted him. Hell, that wasn't even the worst thing Tord would do with his body. 

Tord would speak to Tom. He did at least that much. But it wasn't out of mercy. It was to fuel his sadistic agenda. He would brag about all the cool things he did with Edd and Matt and all the adventures he went on. He could tease Tom about how he'd never get his body back. How Tom was basically his slave. The last one hurt Tom the most. Because it was true. He would do whatever Tord wanted or else be forced back into a world that didnt know he existed. It was humiliating. He submitted completely to the demon after only a few weeks. Tord had never seen Tom this weak. It was cute. 

Tom couldn't take this anymore. He was sick and tired of begin belittled by Tord ever time he would talk to him. He was tired of Matt and Edd turning a blind eye to Tord's behavior. He was tired of being a ghost. He wanted his body back. He would do anything.

Anything.

"Tord?" Tom asked softly one day. Tord was sitting in between Edd and Matt. Matt was rambling about the story of a date he went on that ended in him nearly loosing his life, which he promised was completely true. Tord glanced at Tom. Tom knew his own eyes well and could tell Tord was looking at him. Didn't matter if they were all black. Tord looked back at Matt, nodding and pretending to listen to the story.

"Tord." Tom said, a little more forcefully. Tord payed little to no attention to him when he was in front of the others. He only looked this time because of the pleading tone of Tom's voice. It was too desperate to resist. He wanted to give some sign of recognition to his little slave, glancing at him once. 

"Tord, please, we need to talk." Tom begged. He didn't want to push it too much. He didn't want to piss Tord off and be forced back into solitude. He couldn't handle it at this point. 

Tord still payed him no mind. 

"T-Tord..please.." Tom whimpered. Tord froze up. He looked back at Tom. He was sniffling, and wiped at tears in his eyes. Tord bit his lip and looked back at his friends. 

"Ill be right back." He said. He let some of his Norwegian accent drip into his words on accident. Edd and Matt gave him a quizzical look as he hurried from the couch and into Tom's room, closing the door behind him. Tom just phased through the door. Just like a ghost. 

Before Tord could utter a word, Tom poured his heart out.

"Tord, please, please, please, I can't fucking take this anymore. I want my life back! I want my body back! I want to be with Edd and Matt again, I want to be able to touch them, I want them to actually talk to me, I want to be alive again! I c-cant do this! You treat me like I'm less than a bug, Im sick of being good, Im sick of having to listen to you! Please! I want my life back! I-I.." 

Tom's venting turned into anguished sobs, tears running down his face. He fell to his knees. He was pathetic. And now he was crying in front of Tord. Of course Tord wouldn't listen to him. He'd be stuck like this forever. 

Tord stared down at him, black eyes wide. He'd effectively broken Tom. It was a beautiful sight. 

Tom let out another sob, breath hitching. "Who am I k-kidding? You'll never let me go..I-I'd rather be dead than this. Being dead is better than n-not existing…please..kill me."

Tord look surprised at this. He had lost all incentive to live? It had only been a few weeks..for a demon hunter, his will wasn't very strong. He noticed that while possessing Tom, too. He had barely put up a fight. Guess the tough guy vibe he gave off was all an act.

He kneeled down to Tom's height. 

"Why would I kill you? I care about you. Besides, it'd be quite a waste to kill you. It'd end your suffering. And all the work I put into breaking your mind would be wasted. I like your presence. Shame to loose a dear friend, isn't it?"

Tom sobbed. "Please..just end this. Ill do anything."

Tord's eyebrows raised.

"Anything?"

Tom looked up at him and swallowed hard. He didn't care how much he'd have to sacrifice at this point. He just wanted out. 

He nodded,

A sick grin spread across Tord's face. Or, rather, Tom's face. Tom still wasn't used to that sight. Such an evil look.. he didn't even know he could make faces like that. 

"If you're really that desperate..how 'bout we make a little deal?" Tord asked, standing up and bending over, hand extended out to Tom.   
"You get your body back. I get your soul. That sound good, dear?"

Tom sniffled and choked back a sob. This was betraying everything he stood for. He was tying himself to this demon. He'd be bound by a contract. Tord could do whatever he wanted with him. He weakly raised his hand out. 

"Okay." He said in a small voice. He literally had nothing left to loose.

 

"Perfect." Tord said, a slight growl in his voice. Tom swore there was a slight red glow radiating off his eyeless sockets. Tord grabbed Tom's hand, his own hand glowing red. Tom felt a sharp jab in his chest as Tord pulled him to his feet. Everything started to get blurry and the room started spinning. He barely registered that Tord was able to touch him now. The last thing he felt before blacking out was being enveloped by something warm. 

 

Tom woke up and immediately felt vomit rise in his throat. He rolled over and threw up, choking and sputtering. His whole body was weak and shaky and he has a throbbing headache.

"Ew." Someone said. Tom weakly turned his head, rubbing at his blurry eyes. Tord was standing above him in demon form, arms crossed. He looked pretty disgusted. 

"W..wha..?" Tom muttered, feeling up his body.

HIS body.

He gave a sudden excited cry as he realized, holy shit, he was back in his own body. He felt like he was on the verge of tears, he was so relieved. It felt great to be in the physical world again. Even if he did still feel incredibly sick from re-entering reality after so long in the minds cape. Think of it as soul-jet lag.

"Having fun down there?" Tord mused. He was glad this wasn't his room. He wasn't in the mood to clean up Tom's vomit.

"I..um.." Tom said. He carefully stood up. His legs felt like jelly. "Yeah. Thank you. For..for giving my body back." He wanted to say the opposite, to scream at Tord and curse him out and attack him. But his body wasn't having it at the moment, and yelling would probably make his headache worse.

Not only that, but something felt..different. He didn't feel the same towards Tord anymore. He felt more docile towards him. What had changed..?

"It's no issue. Besides, now I have something I prefer MUCH more." Tord said, a fanged grin creeping across his lips. He held his hand out and something purple and shiny burst into existence. It looked like a little ball of fire. Tom swore he could see a small shape in the middle, almost like a diamond. 

Tom knew what it was and panic enveloped him even before Tord clenched the little ball of light. Tom felt pain shoot through his chest. It was a searing, burning pain. He felt like was being shot over and over. He clenched his teeth and could only plead in his head, please, please make it stop-

Tom dropped to his knees and sucked in a breath, coughing. The pain was gone but he felt winded and exhausted now. 

He hadn't noticed before, but his chest was lighter now. Like something was missing.

"I've always wanted your soul, Tom. To think I own the soul of a demon hunter..that's such a thrill." Tord chuckled. "You have a really pretty soul, too. Despite being such a shitty person.. I thought the constant contact with demons would corrupt it, but you're as pure as can be." 

Tord ran the soul over in his hands. Tom didn't like how that felt, either, but it wasn't painful. He hated how invasive this all was. Tord sensed this and looked up at Tom.

"Do you not like this, Tom? The fact that your soul is mine?" Tord asked. "I don't see why. You willingly gave it up for me. You should be grateful that you have your body back. It was a fair trade." 

"I.." Tom said. He was still submissive towards Tord due to the weeks and weeks of breaking his mind. That combined with the fact that Tord now owned him was not doing good things for Tom's mental state.

"You don't need to be afraid, Tom. I'm not going to do anything to your soul." Tord promised.

"You're..you're not?" Tom asked.

"Why would I? It's the most precious thing to me right now. It means I own you. I can do whatever I want with you." Tord smiled at the way Tom's eyes went wide when Tord said 'right now.'

"I'm going to get bored of you eventually. You know that too, right? When I do..well..I'm sure you'll be delicious." Tord said, looking down at the soul and licking his lips. 

Tom felt sick. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be Tord's pet. He wanted to end this stupid contract and get his soul back and get as far away from Tord as possible. But he couldnt. 

"At least you have a purpose now. To serve me. Its not like you were doing anything with your life. You're a pathetic little demon hunter with two, maybe three people who would care if you lived or died. You're dirt. You. Are. Nothing. You're lucky I'm paying any attention to you at all." Tord sneered. 

Tom looked ready to cry again. All this stress on him from the past few weeks had gotten to him. He was starting to believe Tord's words. Tord was the only person who gave him attention that whole time. Maybe he was right?

Tord laughed and leaned over, petting Tom's head.

"Oh, Tom..I'm all that you need. And you better get used to that. Because you are never, ever, ever getting out of this." Tord said softly in Tom's ear. Tom could stop himself as a tear rolled down his cheek. He wanted to die. He wished Tord had left him in the mindscape so he could rot.

Tord, looking pleased with his work, stepped back and pressed the purple soul into his own chest, where it disappeared. He shifted back into his human form rather quickly. The soul seemed to give him more stamina. He gave Tom one last look.

"And clean up your vomit. It's unsanitary."

With that, Tom was alone.

He fell to his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks, not saying a word. He stared straight ahead.

Tom should be panicking. Trying to get a way out of this situation.

But he couldnt feel anything. Tord had taken all the fight out of him.

He felt empty.

Was there even anything left he could do? He doubted it. He gave up everything he believed in to belong to a demon. This option was worse than being in the mindscape. There was no good answer.

Tom had never been to hell.

But he figured this was what it was like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay mind breaking!  
> toms gonna be fine dont worry


	4. Hes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my upload schedule is almost as juicy as my ass  
> Rip tom hell be back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im tryign my hardest

The next few days were. Normal.

In the oddest definition of the word.

It was strange how things could be exactly the same and so different at the same time.

Tord announced his supposed "return" a day after Tom had been manipulated out of the ownership of his own soul. That day gave Tom plenty of time to wallow in his self-hatred in his room. He knew Tord could feel how broken he was. With his soul in his posession, he could read Tom's thoughts and emotions like a broadcast. He was too depressed to care that Tord was having the time of his life in the next room over, feeding on Tom's pathetic state.

Edd and Matt welcomed Tord back with open arms. Tom decided then, listening to the happy welcoming back from his room, that he could not sit and fester in his own misery for any longer

Matt and Edd were still out there, at Tord's mercy. If Tom gave up and let Tord take him entirely then there would be no one left to protect them.

That was not an option.

So Tom kept fighting. Not for himself and never for Tord.

But for his friends.

They were all he had left. 

Poetic?

No.

Just pathetic.

Tom heaved a sigh, swirling coffee around in his mug. He should have been drinking. It wasnt even eight but he should have been drinking. That was the only thing that could help with this situation. 

He didnt even want to be up this early but it wasnt his choice when he woke up anymore. It was Tord's. Tord couldnt exactly control his actions by using Tom's soul, but he could certainly influence his decisions to such a point it was basically mind control. It was invasive and made Tom feel completely exposed. The lack of control was sickening. 

Edd sat down next to Tom, yawning loudly.

"'Morning, Tom." He grunted.

" 'Morn." Tom muttered. Edd looked up at him from his bowl of cereal. 

"You look sick." Edd said.

"Im fine." 

"You sure? Youve got bags under your eyes bigger than Matt's ego." 

Tom snorted. "That bad, huh? Im just stressed, Edd. Promise." 

"If you say so..you know how much I worry about you." Edd said. He scooted closer to Tom and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Tom's face went completely red.

What?

Did he really.

Just.

Oh.

Tom gave Edd a wild look. Edd returned it, looking confused.

"What?" He asked.

Edd and Tom's relationship had never been anything more than platonic. For Edd to suddenly do something so intimate made him feel..uncomfortable.

Then he realized their relationship probably wasnt all platonic. Tord had been in his body for weeks and probably done alot of things behind closed doors. Had Tom gotten a new boyfriend without even knowing it?

This was. Bad. Very bad. Tom never liked Edd in that way but he couldnt stand breaking his heart.

"N..nothing. Im tired. Thats all." Tom mumbled, looking awkwardly down at his coffee. Edd gave him a concerned look before slowly looking away.

The awkardness was thankfully broken up by Tord's sudden entrance. He was already fully dressed and looking quite cheerful.

"Good morning!" He said, smiling.

"Morning, Tord. Is Matt up yet?" Edd asked.

"Nope, hes still snoozing. You know how he loves his beauty sleep." Tord laughed. 

Edd chuckled. Tom just glared down at his drink. Edd's laughing died down. 

"Tom..are you really sure youre okay? Is something going on with you and Tord? Youve been quiet around him for weeks now..and its not just around him. You barely talk anymore. Youre all shut up in your room." Edd muttered, leaning closer to Tom. Tord made like he was pouring cereal, but it was obvious he was eavesdropping. 

"I told you, Im fine. Just drop it." Tom hissed through gritted teeth. Edd frowned.

"Why do you keep snapping at me? Youve been irritable for weeks now. And youve barely looked at me this entire time, Tom. Do you even love me anymore?" Edd said, a bit too loudly. Tord froze, glancing over at the two.

Tord hadnt done anything but Tom feld ganged up on. How was it his fault that he didnt feel the same way Edd did about him? He hadnt been in control of his body! He didnt only feel mad at Edd, but at Tord. It was obviously Tord who loved Edd. Why didnt Tord just confess his love for Edd already? 

Did he not love him at all? Was all that romancing just to complicate Tom's life further when he got his body back? He really hoped that wasnt the case but. It was in Tord's nature to do. It wouldnt surprise him.

"I get if you're going through something, Tom, but you need to tell me. Im your boyfriend. If theres a problem with me or Tord then just talk to us!" Edd said.

"Im with Edd. Youve been really negligent, Tom." Tord spoke up.

That was it. Tom stood up and stormed out of the kitchen without another word. Edd looked at Tord in desperation. Tord sighed and sat down in Tom's empty seat.

"Something's been off with him lately." Tord said.

"I dont expect him to be happy all the time, but..just..ugh." Edd said miserably. "He was doing so well for so long! He was so happy. Tom was like a whole other person and now.." 

"Its disturbing, isnt it?" Tord asked. He wrapped an arm around Edd. "We need to do something..who knows how much worse he could get?"

Tom pushed past a tired and confused Matt on the way and slammed the door of his room behind him. He practically fell onto his bed. He was seeting with rage and his face felt hot. He was so sick of Tord putting him in these kinds of situations. Tord knew he hated confrontation and he was playing on that, Tom knew it. 

In hindsight, Tord hadnt really done anything. Hed just set the stage with an awkward atmosphere and tension and Tom had caused the problems himself. He was his own worst enemy. Tord barely had to lift a finger or even tug at Tom's soul and Tom would make a mess of his life.

Tom was suddenly filled with the urge to go back into the kitchen and talk to Edd. An urge that wasnt his own. He knew Tord had planted it in his mind and he ignored it. He knew being uncooperative wouldnt last long, either the urge would get stronger until he couldnt fight it or Tord himself would materialize into the room and drag his ass out. The latter was rare but happened once or twice. Those times were very memorable, as he was also subjected to horrible pain from Tord touching his soul. It was a lesson not to defy him again.

Tom waited and waited for either a clawed hand to grab his ankle or an undeniable idea to fill his mind.

...

Neither came.

Tom lay there on his bed pathetically, stewing in his own self hatred until he couldnt stand his stomach growling at him anymore. He had no clue how long he had been there or what time it was but he figured he was there for at least two hours. He was good at just staying still for a long time.

He rolled out of bed, stumbling to his feet. He walked down the hallway and to the kitchen, hoping to find something good in the cabinets.

He stopped in the doorway of the kitchen as he found the rest of his housemates, sitting at the table fully dressed and talking. They all sounded pretty nervous but the conversation ended once Tom had entered.

"Oh, uh, Tom. What are you doing here?" Tord asked. He didnt even try to sound surprised. Of course he knew why Tom was here, he had a one-way ticket into his mind.

"I could ask you all the same thing. Whats going on?" Tom questioned. Edd glanced at the floor. Matt looked guilty. They didnt have any alibi, it was clear they were discussing something important.

"What were you talking about?" Tom asked. 

Edd and Matt looked at each other. "Well..honestly, Tom, we were talking about you." Matt admitted.

"Youve been acting so off lately, and all of us are worried. I know you have..problems, but the way youve been acting is really making me scared." Edd said.

"Is-is this some sort of intervention?" Tom demanded. His face was growing hot from embarrasment again.

"Im afraid to say it is. We know you've struggled with depression and we arent blaming you for it. But its because of your mental illness we're worried. Youve been sleeping more than talking and you barely leave your room." Tord explained.

"Right. Its just like Tord said..we're really worried about your mental state. I..I really think you should get some help, Tom." Edd said. He looked close to tears. Tord out a hand on his shoulder. 

"Maybe a hospital or somewhere could help you? My mom went to the hospital when I was a kid for depression and they helped her back onto her feet.." Matt said.

"'Help'?" Tom repeated blankly. 

Oh. 

So. That. 

Thats what was going on here.

They were sick of him and they wanted to send him away. 

Or maybe they didnt really want him gone. Maybe Tord just made them think that way.

Just like how he planted thoughts into Tom's mind. Tord wanted Edd and Matt to think Tom was crazy. He wanted Tom himself to think he was crazy. Tord wanted to break Tom down to his lowest point, even farther than he was now, so when he grew bored of hurting him he could erase him completely. No fight. No fuss. Maybe Tom would even give his soul up willingly to end the pain of having no friends and no stability. 

Nothing left.

Nothing left but Tord.

Tom lost it.

"You want me to leave?! Fine! Im gone. This place is too crowded anyway." Tom turned and stormed away without another word. Edd jumped up to follow him and Matt winced as the door slammed.

"Tom, Tom, wait, that wasnt what I meant-! Tom!" Edd cried.

"I knew this wouldnt end well." Matt groaned. Tord rubbed his back soothingly. He stood up. 

"Im sure hell be back soon enough." Tord walked out of the room and found Edd with his face pressed against the window, watching Tom walk away.

"Tom..?" He muttered. He looked at the ground and then back at Tord.. "Maybe I should go after him.." 

"Dont worry, Edd! Hell come back soon. I assure you." Tord said. Edd didnt see Tord's eyes flash red for a split second.

"What if he runs away..? What if he leaves the city and we cant find him or-or he does something stupid and gets too drunk and-and.." Edd said. Tord wrapped him in a hug and Edd grabbed the back of his hoodie tightly. He was shaking slightly. 

"I promise, the thought will never even cross his mind." Tord said slowly.


End file.
